From Betting To A Lifetime
by evil-catgirl
Summary: Diego just wants to have a nice evening after the work.. (Anthropomorphic or zootopia-like story. Idea by StrikeTheDragon)


At last the male saber-tooth man was allowed to disappear from the work early. Well, what means early, because the stars already showed up in the sky. Diego sighed, but it was actually his own fault. After all, he never had to work long on Fridays. But he liked to finish things before he went home and he can't just let go by a certain time, like some colleagues.

He had no desire for an empty apartment. In his wallet, there was just enough money to look at his favorite bar. One or two drinks and maybe he even finds some nice company.

The bar wasn't even within reach, since he already heard some men who were accosting each other. He had to find out after a few steps, that the two were probably thrown out because they have already tossed too much alcohol behind. Ignoring the drunks wasn't easy, because they wanted to challenge him to something. When he finally stood in the doorway and looked into the bar, he knew what it was about. Arm wrestling.

The saber tooth again heard animals cheer or make bets. It was always a loud mess that one couldn't understand one's own word. So, for the time being, he sat down at the bar to moisten his throat in the dry air. Of course, he was looking for a place where he could watch the arm wrestling a little too.

A shandy and a conversation with the bartender were enough to participate in this game. Of course, he will not have to deal with evil types, but only try it one or two times. Or until he loses. Depending on whether it's fun or not.

Quickly someone gave him a place and a sweet waitress who doesn't saw him before because she just hangs out behind here, now inquired whether he wanted to drink something. He pointed to his empty glass and she took it from him and disappeared with her tray in the crowd. Maybe he would see her again later. Or not, because she seemed to be quite interested in the winners of this sport.

His first two opponents had more fur and looked so muscular. But it was just hot air and he defeated both under a minute. The next guy seemed louder and could easily throw around some words, but it also doesn't last longer. And so he got on the right track.

The ninth candidate wanted to cheat, but he couldn't fall for such tricks and he banged his arm hard on the table. After that, he was almost intoxicated, probably due to the warmth and the alcohol. The pretty waitress wanted to sit on his lap after the twentieth win or so, he wasn't really counting. Diego refused, thanking her and pushed her sideways, the he saw only the victory. Tomorrow he doesn't have to go to work and it was worthwhile that he visited the fitness studio in the week from time to time. However, there he never exerted himself so much. Tonight he would test the limits of his powers.

Suddenly the chair was empty and he was about to get up to take a break, but there was another lady at the table. She grinned at him and he hung a little too long on her turquoise eyes.

"Um... You're sure to get me a beer, honey. The master must go shortly for small tigers." Abruptly most of the fellows fell silent around and stared at him. Thoughtfully, he wondered if this silvery saber-tooth woman was already forgiven. Still, such sayings like 'honey' shouldn't be that bad. It just slipped out. When he looked at her again, he noticed that she smiled at him. On the necktie she jerked him a little in her direction.

"You'll be probably able to stand it for five more minutes." She explained with a nice but also somehow dangerous voice, before she let him go to sit down on the opposite.

"Oh, the kitty wants to play a round." Before he could think about it, these words came from him. The faces of the men around him, told him that he just made it worse. Some looked at him without understanding. Others made already bets, but not on his name. Who was this woman, who just grabbed his paw very vigorously? Somewhere he had seen her before. On the other paw, he would remember to have seen such a good-looking tigress.

"I'll be very gentle, too." This alcohol just loosened his tongue too much. The male saber-tooth barely heard the start signal and his paw lay already on the table.

"I wasn't ready yet!" She grinned and agreed to repeat it. This time he doesn't take the whole thing so loosely, than the lady really had strength. But she finished him again.

"Again!" This went on for four laps and his opponent pretended like she doesn't even have to make an effort. He leaned back to the side to look under the table. Perhaps that was a trick and she used a strong magnet or something. But all he could find was that the tigress looked damn good in shorts. He could just get up and go, but no, he challenged her further and let himself be humbled here. After a while she had enough and stood up.

"Wait, you can't just go?!" She grinned and turned to him again. With the paw she used to win, she touched his face.

"I really enjoyed myself with Mr. Softy, but I have to go now." Then she pinched him as if he were an ignorant boy. He also noticed how his cheeks became warm. Only he doesn't know whether it was from alcohol, from her touch, or from shame. Probably the last, than the men around them were still laughing.

"Maybe next time we'll see each other again." He heard of her and she disappeared with some guys from the bar. He furiously lifted his fist to the table and finally disappeared into the toilet because he couldn't take the jokes anymore. Then he was beaten several times by a woman. Whats the deal here? It wasn't like if that were scratching on his ego. Diego doesn't make the arm wrestling as job or anything.

So he only paid back what he had tipped behind and then disappeared outside. He looked around, but of course there was no trace of the beauty.

"Beauty? That would be on the top on this night. She is certainly a professional athlete and likes to destroy small fish. Why has it to be me?" He talked to himself and some animals on the street looked at him strangely. However, now he doesn't want to be the creepy drunken man, who gets abusive, so he saunters harmless to his home. At least he tried it, but with a dark look and clenched fists, this doesn't work so well. Shortly before his goal, he came past a shop window and because in the night these things were mostly dark, he could be reflected in it. However, his expression doesn't fall from him, because he couldn't easily forget this woman.

Unfortunately, he also doesn't manage to do it on the weekend and the days that fallowed. When his body was free of alcohol again, his head was still thinking of the saber tigress. Perhaps it was because he hasn't seen such an attractive frame for a long time.

"Frame? As if she were coming from another planet. Yes her fur is eye-catching, but it could be dyed." Now he was talking to himself again, but in the break room no one heard it, because the others were still working.

After a lot of pondering, he made the decision to go to the bar again. He doesn't have to drink anything and would only sneak in inconspicuously, to ask the bartender who this tigress is and then disappear again. For what was the Internet today if you can't look for animals there.

"Well hey there, strong man. Wouldn't have thought of seeing you again so quickly." But he barely entered the building and she was already standing next to him. Would she now also spread salt to the wound?

"You know what? I don't give up so easily. The last time I was worn out only by the previous challenges and the drinks here make you aren't exactly fit either. However, today I am physically in the best condition." First, he got a stunned look for it. The saber-toothed woman came to him again because of arm wrestling. Or not? He also doesn't know that this happened here every night. Then she smiled defiantly. She even showed her teeth and the moment he knew he took his mouth too full.

It came what had to come. Diego lost again against this lady. Ten rounds in less than an hour. Normally, he would have left such games after a short time, but she had something in her that he couldn't give up. In addition, he found it somehow nice to her close to her and her paw. What was he thinking about, than she certainly belonged to another man already.

"How about we make the whole thing more interesting." She said on the fourth day, in which she humbled him. He knew at some point, that she would start taking something from him. He actually thought she doesn't do it because of the money. Now that he was thinking about it, the tigress never stayed at the table with other men. Strange. But he doesn't think much about it either.

"I don't have much with me, but.."

"No, I'll make money with you enough." Confused, he looked at her at the sentence.

"Every time you come here and challenge me, some guys bet on you. They probably think exactly like you, that a woman has nothing to do here. Except maybe as a waitress." As his misfortune came back to him, he scratched his head briefly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry that I thought the first night you were working here. But I have never said that women aren't allowed to do such a thing. I mean you're good in beating me." Suddenly the mood was almost pleasant between them. Nevertheless, he couldn't give up the arm wrestling and once it was really tight. Surely only because she gave him tips and he went back to the fitness center every day.

Her suggestions on what to do, when he gets defeated again, sounded a bit odd. And he thought, he couldn't sink deeper. Yet he did everything that she wanted. So he did her shopping, which seemed very big. He was allowed to wash cars in shorts with other guys. If anyone who knows him had seen that, he would never have left his home again. She also wanted to know things about him and before he knew it, he fell in love with the woman. But apparently she doesn't even notice it and only needed a servant. The saber-toothed tiger found this not fair, because no matter how hard he trained, he just couldn't win against her. But it had to be done once, in order to ask for something. She never said anything.

"OK. Today is the last time." He explained clearly after a month. Now he would tell her his feelings and by a rejection simply go.

"Then you've heard it. Well, the last few weeks have been fun, but we have reached our goal. Besides, the bartender has no desire to throw more drunks out, because they doesn't know what losing means." Diego got the idea before that this can't go on here forever. Was she going to say good-bye today?

"My last task for you here is.."

"If I win, you have to go out with me!" He simply interrupted her, because this time he was so full of energy. Moreover, something really important is at stake. Only then did he look at her, than he was just looking at the table to keep his courage. Was she perplexed? Flattered? Did she want to laugh at him? Snapping and without waiting for an answer, he held his paw out and looked to the side. When she touched him, he never wanted to let her go. And he doesn't even try to defeat her. Although he tried not to let that be noted, but showing feelings was fortunately never his thing.

"Well, that was it then." He wanted to sound casual and funny when she let him go. But he doesn't look up. She just couldn't see how she had not only beaten him in this sport. A pity glance is the last thing he wants to get from her now. Suddenly there was a paw on his cheek and made him look at her. Shira smiled. But it doesn't feel like a farewell.

"I still would like to go out with you. Actually, I thought you'd never ask." He moved away a bit confused.

"Oh, is that so? But what about all the other guys that are buzzing around you all the time?" The tigress looked at him puzzled, then laughed. Of course he doesn't understand why she did it.

"You still haven't heard that we all work in the gym nearby. I mean, I can't put on alone such events like arm wrestling." Diego's head began to work. Abruptly a poster with the saber-toothed tigress appeared before his inner eye. 'Master in kick boxing challenges you.' How could he have completely overlooked this, than he saw this piece of paper more than one time? Embarrassed, he hit his paw in his face.

"So I never had a chance. It was a little mean of you to annoy me all this time. But I was also an idiot. So let's go? What does a champion of kick boxing likes to eat?"

"You want to go out today?" She looked thoughtfully at her cell phone.

"Or we can move it to next week, if that's better for you." Waiting, he stood up and looked at her. He doesn't care whether it would be next week or next month. She said yes and that was just the most important.

"Why not."

* * *

Shira sat on the sofa and blinked, than she noticed that the other saber was also awake. He stared at the new ring on her paw.

"Hm, you regret it already?" She asked teasingly, because the other proposed to her yesterday and of course she said yes.

"Uh, no. I just thought of something."

"What? How did we meet?"

"Today, we can read thoughts again. Yes, I thought about that time."

"When I hear our friends talk about their meetings, did you find ours strange?" She put her head back on his chest as she always found it comfortable and warm. Diego grinned, she doesn't know how, but she could always hear it, even if he doesn't make a sound. Then he stroked her lovingly over the head and the back. He knew exactly how to make her purr.

"Strange? Nonsense. A woman who beats a man countless times in arm wrestling, only to get closer to him is completely normal. You can see it in books and movies. What I didn't expect was you to kiss me on the first date. Actually I'm not such a saber." She couldn't help but laugh.

"But it was all worth it, than soon I'm Mr. Kitty." Her cheeks got warm, his grin was too as she looked at him. The names they gave each other at the first meeting had long been their nicknames.

"And I'll be Mrs. Softy soon." Shira made that glance that made him embarrassed, but she doesn't let him say another thing and kissed him happy. And then the two cuddled, content with the world, than it was a perfect afternoon to just relax with the other loved one.


End file.
